Back inside, Charles finally found his voice. "Okay." His tone was forced, sharp, defensive. "Fine."
The room turned toward him. He forced a smile. "So, she speaks some Mandarin."
Nobody agreed. Nobody disagreed. The silence itself became a judgment.
Charles pressed forward. "That doesn't mean much."
Mr. Liang slowly turned toward him. The look he gave Charles wasn't hostile; it was worse: disappointed—a man who had expected better. Charles felt it immediately and hated it.
Maya remained calm. She wasn't smiling; she wasn't celebrating; she wasn't trying to embarrass anyone. That somehow made everything harder for Charles, because she wasn't acting like a winner: she was simply existing, and winning anyway.
Charles pointed toward her. "Speaking a few sentences doesn't make someone an expert."
Maya finally looked at him. "You're right."
Charles blinked. The answer wasn't what he expected.
Maya continued, "Speaking a language doesn't make someone an expert." For a brief moment, relief crossed his face. Then she added, "Listening does."
The room became silent again. Raymond closed his eyes. Margaret looked down. Mr. Liang smiled faintly. Charles's jaw tightened.
Maya turned back toward the investors. Then she said something that changed everything—again. Still in Mandarin:
"Mr. Liang, would you like me to translate what you've been discussing with your team for the last ten minutes?"
The smile vanished from Charles's face instantly. Mr. Liang's eyes widened slightly. The younger investors exchanged glances; one laughed softly—not because it was funny, because he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Charles spoke: "What are you talking about?"
Maya answered calmly, "I mean the concerns you've been discussing regarding the waterfront project."
The room froze. Charles's expression changed: not much, but enough—enough for Raymond to notice, enough for Margaret to notice, enough for Mr. Liang to notice: fear, tiny, brief, but real.
Maya continued, "You've raised concerns about environmental protections."
Mr. Liang nodded slowly.
"You've discussed timeline pressures."